William James Avery, a dedicated worker at the local men’s shelter, died last week. He was 80.

Avery completed his shift that began at 9:30 p.m. on Dec. 28 and ended the next morning at 6:30 a.m.

From there, he went to a medical appointment and suffered a medical emergency, according to his co-worker and friend, Shelter Manager Darryl Jones.

In a written statement, Jones said Avery “loved the shelter and the men who came there for help.  He gave selflessly of his time to this ministry and was anxiously awaiting the day when we could move into our new location at City Road Center for Hope.”

A service will be held at 11am, Saturday, Jan. 6, at Shiloh Baptist Church, 635 S. College Street in Henderson. Interment will follow at Elmwood Cemetery. A viewing will be held from 2 p.m. – 5 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 5 at Davis-Royster Funeral Home.
Avery was a Vietnam veteran and worked at General Motors for 30 years. He was a church deacon and sang in the men’s choir there. He began his work with the men’s shelter as a volunteer for nine years; he was a paid employee for six years.

Jones said Avery was someone he could count on – “reliable, faithful, dedicated, committed, trustworthy…he was all these things, but most of all, he was my friend.”

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